What is the best hearing aid manufacturer? This is a pretty common question that I hear from my patients. It's also a very valid question, which you might think, has an easy answer. Yet, it's often the common, simple questions that do not have simple answers. Some audiologists, or better yet, most manufacturers, will give you a simple answer but that answer would probably be pretty biased.
A better question might be, "which hearing aid manufacturer is best for me?" However, even that doesn't usually have a one word answer. If someone told me I needed to choose one single manufacturer to work with from now on, it would be a very difficult decision to make. There is no single manufacturer that can cover the needs of every patient. And what is best for one patient may not be best for the next.
While there are dozens of different manufacturers, there are about 8 leading manufacturers. Personally, I most commonly use about 5 manufacturers. Most audiologists find themselves sticking to a few that they use most. I like different ones for different reasons. I'm not going to name names but for example, one is my go to manufacturer for power aids, when someone has a severe to profound hearing loss. I may go to another manufacturer for custom hearing aids because I find that they are better at making aids that fit correctly the first time. Still, I like another manufacturer for receiver-in-the ear (RITE) devices and another when my patient is interested in Bluetooth connectivity, and another if interested in extended wear devices. I think you get the picture.
Honestly, most manufacturers have some very similar products. The high-end hearing aids from manufacturer A is going to have technology and features similar to the high-end hearing aids from manufacturer B. Does that mean they are created equal? Not at all. I've also found that, for whatever reason, I may have two patients with very similar hearing losses, lifestyles and communication needs and one may prefer manufacturer A and one may prefer manufacturer B. Why would this be? It may be that the fitting algorithm used by one manufacturer, for one reason or another, agrees with that person's auditory system better than the other. Sometimes it is subjective and just a matter of personal preference.
At Hearing Rehab Center, all of the audiologists have ability to choose what they feel is right for their patients. Hearing Rehab Center is not owned by a manufacturer, as many of our competitors are. We are a family owned company so we have the flexibility to choose from all available manufacturers. This is very beneficial for the patient. While we try to select the right hearing aid the first time, we may not. However, since we have so many options, we can switch to a different manufacturer without a problem. If we were owned by a manufacturer, we wouldn't necessarily have that flexibility and would probably make similar recommendations to all patients.
So, how do you know what is the best manufacturer for you? You need to work with your audiologist and ultimately, you must feel comfortable putting your faith in that professional. Technology is changing and improving on a constant basis. Call the location nearest you to schedule a free demonstration and find out what hearing device is best for you.
